Oakland County housing market on the rise again WITH VIDEO

The Oakland Press/VAUGHN GURGANIAN
An aerial view of the housing development along the intersection of Dutton and Squirrel Roads, pictured June 18. The real estate market is on the rebound throughout Oakland County.

The real estate market is on the rebound nationally and Oakland County figures concur that new housing construction in this area is on the rise after years of being stalled.

In Oakland County, 956 permits pulled for new houses in the first six months of 2013, which is more than the county has seen in the last five or four years in total, said Matthew Gibb, Oakland County deputy executive.

Three Oakland County communities are leading the way: Lyon Township, Orion Township and Independence Township.

Six major housing developments are approved in Orion Township right now -- meaning roughly 700 single-family homes and apartments. And there is a seventh project in the works.

Advertisement

"I think we're going to lead the county in residential development in the next couple of years," Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett said.

Gibb said the county is getting back on track in housing starts.

"The whole county is starting to see a resurgence in residential construction," Gibb said. While the numbers do not compare to the days before the recession, the county is on track to build 3,000 new homes this year -- the most residential growth the county has seen in one year since 2006.

As for Orion Township, Gibb attributes the sudden interest to the community's low tax base; its rural feel with close proximity to employers and shopping centers; and its wide variety of price points.

In addition, about one-fourth of Orion Township is lakes, parks and open spaces -- 4,000 acres of parks, 27 lakes and 45 miles of safety paths, according to Barnett.

Besides six major projects in the works, Bloomfield Hills-based PulteGroup is in the process of getting approval from the township for Orion Commons, a development that would be on the southwest corner of Scripps and Lapeer roads.

If approved by the township this fall, the project would include 48 condominium units with 96 total homes, Barnett said. Of the total 87 acres, about 12 will be used for commercial buildings.

"We're looking for this to be a real nice, high-quality development," Barnett said. "We're not looking for this to be just another strip mall."

More subdivisions means more traffic, Barnett concurred. But he pointed to tentative plans to widen Baldwin Road from two lanes to four from Morgan to Waldon roads, and plans to widen the shoulders and add safety paths along Lapeer Road.

Meanwhile, PulteGroup will be required to pay for some improvements to the nearby intersection for Orion Commons, he said.

Sales are brisk at the PulteGroup properties, said Christopher Leimbach, vice president of sales and marketing for Michigan.

At the Turnberry subdivision, the company sold two homes the first weekend, Leimbach said.

"The big draw there, it's a very intimate community," he said. "The demand in the Lake Orion market in general is very strong. Everything thus far we've introduced in the market has been met with great acceptance. We've been selling very, very well."

A great school system and lower price points than some other suburban communities helps drive sales, Leimbach said.

More students means more tax dollars and would help fill some of the schools where enrollment has declined in recent years.

"I think it would be great to have more kids to fill the empty spots we have," said Kim Keller, president of the Webber Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization, referring to some of the Lake Orion Schools buildings that have had declining enrollment in recent years.

Part of the reason there are so many projects right now is because some of the tracts of land were owned previously by developers who started projects and went bankrupt, Barnett said.

But Gibb does not expect that to happen again. Those developers were overextending themselves right before the recession, he said.

The real estate market has improved and the lending practices are better now.

The real estate companies that survived are pushing forward and have financial strength, Gibb explained.

Redwood Management, based in Beechwood, Ohio, decided to build its first Michigan project in Orion Township.

"I think it's a great community," said John Lateulere, development director for the Redwood Management, which is building 77 ranch-style apartments off Baldwin Road. "When you look at the people in the community, people who live there, live there forever. People love Lake Orion, love Orion Township."

FYI

See a list of real estate transactions in Oakland County on Page A-11.